This Kiss
by Romance Novel
Summary: Dating was never apart of Lauren's plan. Lauren/Razor.


Pairing: Lauren/Razor.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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**This Kiss**

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Dating was never a part of Lauren's plan. Post-Carter/Max dilemmas that is.

After being disqualified from the USATC and her eligibility for the Olympics because of her heart condition, she went back to Boulder and spent a lot of time moping over the destruction of her dreams. This didn't really sit well with Steve Tanner, who forced his daughter out of the house (literally) to get or job or socialize with friends. Really anything to get out of his face.

The problem was, Lauren didn't have any friends. At least in town: Kaylie, Jordan, and Payson were busy gearing up for London, Emily was still off in Vegas, and Jake hadn't been on Facebook chat in over a week (and sucked at replying to texts). The only other person was Kelly Parker. Now that she fired her mom and left the gymnastics world, she was basically in Lauren's same position. The only difference was that Lauren didn't completely lack social skills.

A lot of their nights hanging out were spent at various bars in downtown Denver. Lauren would spend weekends sleeping at Kelly's house (her parents were literally never home) and coming home that Monday. Although it was still in Colorado, being in Denver gave her an added confidence to create an alternate identity; be the girl she probably would've ended up being if she had never joined gymnastics. So far, That Girl meant a lot of late nights and hungover days, getting so wasted she couldn't even remember her own name. Finding out your entire life's goals and dreams were no longer an option made it easier to stop caring about dignity or anything like that. At least, according to Lauren Tanner.

One night in particular, Meadowlark Bar was hosting its weekly open mic night. Lauren wasn't really a fan of songs that weren't played on the Billboard Hot 100, but Kelly was a fan and something about her big puppy eyes made it hard for Lauren to say no. Plus, she was her only friend at the moment and she wasn't about to spend the night drinking by herself.

The Shelter Pups were performing (sans Damon Young according to frontman Razor's overdramatic and slightly drunken "The Pups won't ever stop! Fuck Damon Young!). Lauren vaguely remembered them from the Taft High prom she, Kaylie, Payson, Emily, and Carter (ew) crashed. Razor still had that same dumb hairdo, but had added on a beard to his face. He had always been cute-but-dorky, but something about either the alcohol in her system or the way his lanky body filled out that black tank top he had on…

The Pups ended their set with a cover of Queen's "We are the Champions" randomly. Razor mentioned Freddie Mercury as his musical idol which seemed incredibly fitting. Suddenly, the dance floor was packed. Kelly grabbed Lauren's hand and led her through the crowd until they were in the front row, right against the stage.

Lauren tried to keep her balance as she kept getting pushed against the stage. She looked over at a drunken KP, who was singing along to every word while trying to reach forward and grab the Damon replacement's combat boots.

At one point, Razor removed his mic from the stand and started pacing the stage with his guitar strung across his body. He got the crowd to sway some and bring out their iPhones for some ambiance. As he was heading back to the stand, he and Lauren locked eyes. She tried her best to still look alluring while sweaty and bruised. It must've worked because she could've sworn she saw him grin at her.

After the show, KP waited impatiently for the band to come outside. Lauren feigned disinterest, but inside she was pretty anxious herself. Once they did, the duo approached them after the moderate yet approving applause died down. KP instantly went to the Damon replacement, who seemed surprised by the attention. All Lauren and Razor did was stare at one another.

"Are you guys from around here?" KP asked, slurring slightly.

Lauren interjected before they could respond, her eyes never leaving Razor's. "Yeah, totally, you're friends with Emily Kmetko, right?"

Razor rose his eyebrows, snapping out of his trance. He didn't seem to expect that answer. "Oh wow, yeah I am. Well, was. I haven't heard from her in a year."

"Us either." Lauren said, running her hands through her hair. She looked over at KP to see her taking a selfie with the Damon replacement. The other bandmates had disappeared. It was just her and Razor.

The blonde turned back to the lead singer and took a step closer to him. "So. What are you doing after this?" She batted her eyelashes and ignored how surprised Razor looked. Next thing she knew, she was saying goodbye to KP, piling into the back o Razor's beat up jeep, and making out with him.

Sex has always been a complicated issue for Lauren. Her first time was drunk at a kegger with her best friend's (at the time's) boyfriend. After that, it became a reflex to use sex and go after unattainable guys. She almost came close with Max Spencer, but she could never nab him. There was probably something to be said for both of her sexual experiences being while drunk or to attain affection as a coping mechanism for her unsatisfying life.

The backseat was really small with clothes, pizza boxes, and other random crap everywhere. If Lauren wasn't drunk, she would question she was going to catch something. However, clothes were pulled off as moans escaped loud and forcefully. Safe to say her mind was elsewhere. She barely knew this guy so it was less romantic than any time with Carter, just quick and dirty. Two hopeless romantics searching for meaning out of the bare minimum. Never knowing true love so never knowing how to stop feeling empty.

Afterwards, Lauren slipped her skintight dress back on while Razor zipped up his skinny jeans. They both avoided eye contact and once they were fully dressed, Lauren grabbed her heels and climbed out of the car. A few seconds later, she heard Razor.

"So, that's it?"

She turned around to see him popping his head of the backseat. He looked like a puppy. "What's it?" She replied coolly.

He slowly smirked. "Well, as flattering as the thought is, I don't usually get incredibly hot blondes into the backseat of my car."

"My name is Lauren." She may have just slept him mere minutes ago, but she didn't want him to think that this was going to be easy. Whatever she had had with Jake had taught her that sometimes it felt really nice to be courted.

Razor held up his hand that had been hanging lifelessly next to the car up to his chest. "Totally didn't mean any disrespect, sorry. I'm all about feminism and all that. Who run the world, girls, you know?" He let out of a small giggle. This guy had "pothead" written all over him.

She started walking back to the car. "Beyonce. Nice touch. I love her."

"Who doesn't?"

The former gymnast slowed to a stop once she was next to the car. After throwing his clothes onto the floor, Razor opened the car door and held out his hand. Lauren stared at it for a few moments. What seemed like a small gesture, meant so much more to her. Carter left her alone at the kegger that night and then proceeded to ditch her after sex for shifts at the Pizza Shack once they actually became a couple. It was rare for them to have pillow talk.

And here, this guy she only vaguely knew as being at one time obsessed with one of her former friends. A guy who was so the opposite of her type that she couldn't even think about how they had just had sex. He had probably never worked out a day in his life or made anything close to six figures. _What are you doing Lauren_, she thought to herself.

Still, she took his hand and climbed in the backseat. She tucked her feet underneath herself and held her heels on her lap. He let go of her hand and sat so his back was resting against the back of the passenger's seat.

Awkward silence.

Lauren cleared her throat. "Look, just because I came back doesn't mean that this is leading to anything, okay? It was just sex."

"Um, woah." He responded, holding his hands up for the second time tonight. "What makes you think this is my first time having casual sex? Psh. As if. I've had sex with girls I don't know all the time."

Lauren snorted. "Just not incredibly hot blondes in the backseat of your car, right?" She lowered her hands after using air quotes.

Razor let out a laugh. "Exaaactly." He let a silence fall before speaking again. "So, is it weird if I ask you out?"

"It's weird that you're asking permission beforehand."

"See, but if I do it now, it'll be awkward that you avoided the question then rejected me."

"Okay, just do it before I change my mind."

"So that's a yes?"

She looked down at her lap before answering to make him sweat it out. She could hear her phone going crazy in her purse, probably a billion texts from KP wondering where she was. Honestly, she had no idea. All she knew was that she was bored with her life and needed something new. Guys had never been a successful solution in the past, but Razor seemed like a good guy. Maybe he would rub off on her (figuratively, not literally this time).

She turned back to him. "Okay." He grinned and leaned in, giving her another kiss. This one was less passionate than the make out session before. It was short, but sweet, and showed something that no other kiss had given her so far in life. That he cared.

Dating Razor was never a part of Lauren's plan.

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**A/N**: So I think this is officially the end of the my random MIOBI fic writing. I've been writing this for awhile on random scribbled pieces of paper and realized why I stopped writing fics. But enjoy! Review please.


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